


Discharge Your Duty

by Nochi



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Character Spoilers, Found Families, Gen, discussion of parentage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 21:44:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2827103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nochi/pseuds/Nochi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Suyin has questions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Discharge Your Duty

**Author's Note:**

> I had A Thought re: everyone (including me) being kind of disappointed that Sokka was not in fact the father of either of Toph's girls. It was mentioned on Tumblr that even though we don't know Su's father's name, it's very unlikely that it's Sokka unless he died directly after she was born. Because Sokka having a kid with his best friend and then not being around is kind of completely, massively out of character for him. Which led into "yes, Toph IS his best friend, would he leave his best friend's kids hanging, no he would not, SURROGATE DAD SOKKA".
> 
> Basically this is a warning that this fic is derived directly from a massive amount of weapons-grade headcanon, proceed at your own risk.
> 
> (The title, as with most of my titles, comes from poking around wikiquote: "You that are parents, discharge your duty; though you cannot impart grace to your children, yet you may impart knowledge." - Thomas Watson)

"Why aren't you our father?" Sokka misses a step, both physically and mentally, and exaggerates his stumble to give himself a chance to catch up. It was Su who asked, of course, Toph's younger daughter having inherited every ounce of her mother's tact. Lin is hissing at her, _we said we wouldn't_ \- ah, this isn't the first time they've discussed this.

"Well, I...you see..." If only she were three years younger, he could pull out Wang Fire and weave some elaborate tale of cabbage leaves or eagle-storks, and distract her from her original question. But no, she's all gangly, awkward adolescence and sharp green eyes. "I was never in love with your mother," he says finally. It's not the whole truth, but it's not completely a lie, either, and neither of them needs an explanation of the infatuation that pops up when your best friend saves your life and vice versa.

"But you obviously care about her," Su presses. "And about us. Or you wouldn't do this all the time." "This" being a weekend stay for the girls at Sokka's house, half to get them out of Toph's hair and half because she's right, he does care about them, all three of them.

"Well, yeah," he responds. "Of course I care, I've known your mom since she was up to here." He lifts a hand to hip level. "Here with the hair," and he lifts the hand to his ribs. Lin cracks a small smile and immediately tries to pretend she hadn't. "Why the sudden interest, kid?"

Su doesn't answer immediately, and Sokka lets her mull it over. Her mouth has always run just a little bit faster than the rest of her, and there's a better-than-average chance she hadn't known her own motives when she opened it. Lin is no more forthcoming, which is unsurprising. Her mouth's been set in a hard line for a little over a year now, and Sokka's not sure what caused it or who she's emulating. He misses her smile.

"You let us stay in your house," Su says, shaking him out of his thoughts. "Like, all the time. We have our own _rooms_ in your house. And you take us places and teach us stuff and give us advice, even if you put that stupid beard on when you do it."

"The beard is a national treasure and historical artifact," Sokka reminds her. "But continue."

"You played with us when we were little," Lin says quietly, not looking at the rest of them. "You were the only one not scared of roughousing with Chief Bei Fong's kids."

"Also true." They're nearing a point, and he intends to let them reach it on their own.

"You...you do all the _dad stuff_!" Su's voice is thick with frustration. "Why are you _Sokka_ and not _Dad_?" She's stewing now, glaring down at the sidewalk, and even Lin's stern expression has been disrupted. Sokka sighs a little - he'd known they would eventually have some sort of teenage crisis about their fathers, spirits know he had, and he at least knew who his _was_. He hadn't agreed with Toph's decision to keep the girls in the dark, but they're her kids (and, he suspects, it hurts her to talk about the loved-and-lost, and he has a little experience with that, too). He stops walking and turns to face them, laying a hand on each of their shoulders. He's echoing his own father now, he notes with a small sense of irony, but they both know it means _listen to me, this is important_.

"If I'm hearing you right, the issue is with what I'm called, not how I act, right?" Two little dark heads nod at him. "Well, do me a favor, and consider this: dad is just a name for a guy who does a thing."

"But you _do_ the thing," Su protests. Sokka lifts his hand to her hair and ruffles it.

"You don't call Aang 'Avatar Aang' all the time, do you?"

"But he doesn't _act_ like the Avatar, he acts like a _dork_ ," she retorts, then clamps a hand over her mouth. Sokka fights a laugh and loses, bowing his head in a helpless chuckle for a minute.

"I think you just proved my point," he says when he can speak again. "And also, you're both overthinking this. If I do dad things, what does it matter what you call me?" The look in Su's eyes says it matters, but he just ruffles her hair again, making her duck away. "Come on, it's late and I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry," Su mutters.

"Imparting wisdom is hungry work."

"More like food is a convenient way to dodge a question," Lin says primly, and steps past him to continue down the sidewalk. Sokka just stares after her for a second, until Su starts laughing at his expression, and their bickering continues all the way to Sokka's home.

Which has always really been  _their_ home, but they're starting to learn not to state the obvious.


End file.
